Automatic electric alarm



(No Model.) 2 Sheets-Sheet 1.

G. B. WILLIAMS.

AUTOMATIC ELECTRIC ALARM.

Patented Jan. '7, 1896.

' /NVENTO/? W/TNESSES:

ATTOH/VEYS.

AN DREW B GRAHAM,PHO'T0-UTHU.WASHINGTON.U Qv

(No Model.) 2 Sheets-Sheet 2/ .G. B. WILLIAMS.

AUTOMATIC ELECTRIC ALARM.

No. 552,803, Patented Jan. 7, 1896.

76'- f If i/ 21/ "a Q F i 1/ 4 Em my 0 i2 Z9 1" 8,22 ffl Ei 7 9 l. 28 i Q/ I z d I 7 .34 J9 z a j a x WITNESSES: /NVENTO/? A TTOHNE YS,

AN DREW B GRAHAM. PHOTO-WHO WASHINGTUMDL,

NTTED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

GEORGE BAYLEY \YILLIAUS, OF TEXARKANA, TEXAS.

AUTOMATIC ELECTRIC ALARM.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 552,803, dated January '7', 1896.

Application filed April 3, 1895 Serial No. 544,962. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, GEORGE BAYLEY WIL- LIAMS, of Texarkana, in the county of Bowie and State of Texas, have invented a new and Improved Automatic Electric Alarm, of which the following is a full, clear, and exact description.

This invention relates to automatic electric alarms, and more especially to that class of such alarms which are adapted for employment in connection with automatic dry-pipe sprinkler systems for protection against fire, the alarm when so employed being arranged to operate in such a way as to give warning when the air-pressure in the pipes of the sprinkler system falls below a predetermined point, whether such fall be occasioned by the opening of the pipes for the discharge of water in thecase of fire, or whether it be occasioned by leakage of the pipes; and the object of the invention is, in part, to provide an alarm of this character adapted to indicate, first, the fall of the air-pressure in the pipes of the system, and in case this warning be unnoticed to continue in operation, and, finally, to give warning that the water has entered the pipes of the system, and in part to provide certain improvements in the arrangement of the circuit-wires for an electric alarm of this general character.

The invention consists in certain novel features of construction and arrangements of parts whereby the automatic electric alarm constructed in accordance with my invention presents certain advantages for use over other similar devices heretofore employed, all as will be hereinafter fully set forth.

The novel features of the invention will. be carefully defined in the claims.

Reference is to be had to the accompanying drawings, forming a part of this specification, in which similar figures of reference indicate corresponding parts in all the views.

Figure 1 is a vertical axial section taken through the circuit-closing device of the alarm in the plane indicated by line 00 in Fig. 2. Fig. 2 is a plan view of the said circuit-closing'device. Fig. 3 is a perspective detail view showing the form of the spring employed for holding the contacts of the circuit-closing device normally out of engagement. Figs. 4 and 5 are side elevations showing modified forms of the circuit-closing device, to be hereinafter referred to; and Fig. (3 is a somewhat diagraphic view showing the arrangement of the independent main and local circuit-wires,both adapted to be closed by one circuit-closer or contact-valve similar to the valve shown in Fig. 1, but provided with two sets of contacts. In the drawin s, 1 represents the body or casing of the circuit-closing device provided on its under side with a screw-threaded tubular nipple 2, adapted for attachment to the pipes of the sprinkler system, as will be hereinafter set forth, the upper part of said casing 1 being open and screw-threaded interiorly to receive the cap or cover 3, having a central tubular boss 4 extending from its upper side and aligned with the opening of the nipple 2.

The casing 1 is provided below its screwthreaded upper portion with a raised annular seat 5 concentric with and opposite to the lower depending annular lip G of the cap or cover 3, and the said seat 5 and lip 6 are adapted to clamp and hold between them when the cap or cover 3 is secured in place a diaphragm 7, having a central perforation through which extends the screw-threaded stem 8 of a head 9 having a convex upper face 10 adapted to conform to the curvature of the diaphragm 7 when the same is bowed or bent upward under the pressure in the pipes, as indicated in Fig. 1.

The upper end of the boss i of the cap or cover 3 is interiorly screw-threaded to receive a screw-threaded tubular plug 11, in which is arranged to play a stem 12, whereon is coiled below the plug 11 a spring 13, the lower end of which is arranged to bear on the upper portion of an enlargement or head 14 formed on the lower end of the stem 12 inside the chamber formed between the casing 1 and its cap or cover 3, and said head or enlargement 1i is provided with a convex under surface 15 corresponding with and opposite to the con cave surface 10 of the head 9, being provided at its center with an interiorly-threaded perforation 16, wherein screws the stem 8 of the head 9 in such a manner that the diaphragm 7 is securely clamped at its central part between the opposite convex surfaces 10 and 15 of the respective heads 9 and 14, as shown in Fig. 1.

At its upper end the stem 12 is screwthreaded, as indicated at 17, to receive a nut 18 having a hexagonal enlargement at its upper part arranged to rest normally on the end ofa eontactfinger 20, pivoted at 21 between the forks of a forked bearing-piece 22, secured to the upper end of an insulated support 23 secured on. the cap or cover 3. The bearing-piece 22 is formed with a screw threaded shank (seen in dotted lines in Figs. 1 and 2) extending through the support 23 and provided with a nut 2 adapted to serve as a binding-screw to secure thereto the circuit-wire, and also adapted to hold the bearing-block in place on the support 23. The nut 18 or its flange or enlargement may, if desired, be of insulating material.

In order to maintain the contact-finger 2O normally distended in a horizontal plane, as seen in Fig. 1, I employ a spring 25 of sheet metal. (Seen in detail in Fig. This spring 25 is adapted to lie on the upper fiat face of the bearing-piece 22, being provided at its rear end with depending fingers 26 and at its opposite sides adapted to be secured between the end of the piece 22 and the support 23 on opposite sides of the shank of the said bearing-piece, whereby, when the nut 2a is tightened on said shank, the fingers 26 will be securely clamped between the support 23 and bearing-piece 22, in order to secure the spring 25 in place. At its forward end the spring 25 is similarly provided with a central depending finger 27, adapted to extend between. the forks of the bearing-piece 22 and bear elastically against the rear face of the contact-finger 20.

Below the bearing-piece 22 a contact-piece 28 is secured to the insulated support 23, being provided with a screw-threaded shank similar to the shank of the said bearing-piece, extending through the support and adapted to receive a nut 29, whereby the contact-piece 28 is securely clamped to the support 23 similarly to the bearing-piece 22, the end of the circuit-wire being similarly secured. At its extremity the contact-piece 28 is provided with a depending lug or lip 30, having a beveled upper surface 31, and the contact-piece 28 is arranged relatively to the bearing-piece 22 and its contact-finger 20, so that when the finger 2O falls, as indieatedin dotted lines in Fig. 1, its end will contact with said beveled surface 31 on the contact-piece 28, so as to close the circuit, as will be hereinafter described.

In applying the alarm shown in Figs. 1, 4 and 5 in practice I employ either local circuits and alarms only, or I connect the contactvalves or circuit-closin g devices of the various independent branches of the sprinkler system in series with one main circuit In Fig. (3 is shown the sprinkler-pipe 32 provided with a connection 33, to the end of which is coupled the circuit-closer or contact-valve constructed as above set forth, the nipple 2 of the casing 1 being screwed into the open head of the connection 33, as will be readily understood.

As a six or eight inch pipe leading up from the water-mains can only furnish water at an adequate pressure to a limited number of sprinkler-heads with one-half inch openings when all have been opened in the case of a fire, it is necessary to have an independent connection of water-mains to furnish the adequate prev sure to s )rinkler-heads in excess of what can be supplied with a pressure from one water-pipe, and so on, until there are sufficient connections with water-mains to furnish adequate pressure to all sprinkler-heads in buildings or shops of any character. The pipes normally filled with compressed air to hold back the waterpressurc in one waterpipe leading to water-mains are not connected with the pipes containing compressed air which hold back the waterpressure in another water-pipe leading to water-mains, but each rises from the main valve, air-pipes, air-gage and sprinkler-heads. Each such independent branch of the sprinkler system must also have its own contact-valve and alarm whether with a local circuit and generator or in a main circuit wired in multiple with contact-valves or circuit-closers in similar independent branches of the sprinkler system.

\Vhen the circuitclosing device is employed, as shown in Fig. 6, it is provided with an auxiliary insulated support 23 similar to the support 23 above described and provided at its upper end with a bearin g-piece 22, contact-finger 20 and contact-piece 2,, similar to the corresponding parts 22, 20 and 28 of the circuit-closing devices shown in Fig. 1. The several. circuit-closing devices (of which. but one is shown in Fig. 6) are connected in. multiple by means of wires 38 with the main alarmcircuit consisting of the circuit-wires 35 and including a generator 36 and a bell 37, said bell being located at any suitable point in the buildingas at the office, for example. The several circuit-closing devices are also each included in a local circuit consisting of circuit wires 34:, and each of said local circuits includes a generator 39 and a bell 40.

The operation is as follows: lVhen the airpressure in the pipe falls below the predetermined point, the spring 13, acting on the head of the stem 12, presses down the same so that the contact-finger 20 is forced down to the position seen in dotted lines in Fig. 1 into contact with the contact-piece 28 so as to close the circuit between the contact-finger 20 and contact-piece 28, whereby the local circuit including the battery 39 and bell i0, and also the main circuit including the battery 36 and bell 37, are closed, and the alarm sounded at two points. B y this arrangement of the main and local circuits it is evident that should either circuit be impaired so as to be inoperative the alarm of the other circuit will still be sounded so as to give warning of the fall of the air-pressure in the pipes of the system. The tension of the spring 13 may be adjusted by turning the screw-plug 11 so as to regulate and vary the point at which the signal will be given, and this point will be by pref- IIO erence sufliciently high to cause the signal to be sounded some little time before the main valve will open to admit water to the air-pipes in case of ordinary leakage, so that in such case the admission of water to the air-pipes may be prevented.

In Fig. i Ihave shown a modified arrangement of the circuitcloser, wherein the nut 18 is inverted and has its hexagon 19 at its base. The contact-piece 28 is also inverted in this form of the device, and the spring 25 being omitted the contact-finger 2O rests directly on the hexagon 19, and when the nut 18 moves down at the fall of air-pressure in the pipes the said contact-finger 2O falls by gravity into engagement with the contactpiece 28, so as to close the circuit and sound the alarm. contact is automatically broken, as well as automatically made, this being adapted for giving a leakage-alarm only.

If desired, a similar construction of circuit-closing device may be employed to indicate the rise of pressure above a predetermined point, and I have shown in Fig. 5 such a device. This construction is similarto that shown in Fig. at, excepting that the contactpiece 28 is arranged above the bearing-piece 22, and the finger 20 is adapted to be moved up\ ard into engagement therewith, to close the circuit and sound the alarm when the pressure under the diaphragm rises. This form of contact-valve is intended for causing an alarm when a column of water accumulates on the valve from condensation in the air-pipes, or when water passes from the water-mains into the air-pipes. For the former purpose the contact-valve should be attached to the lowest point of the air-pipes.

From the above it is evident that my invention is susceptible of some modification in the construction and arrangement of the several parts, and for this reason I do not wish to be understood as limiting myself to the precise form herein shown.

Having thus described my invention, I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent 1. In an electric alarm, the combination of a casing, a diaphragm therein adapted to be moved in one direction by the increase of pressure in the casing 011 one side thereof, a stem connected to the diaphragm, a cap for the casing, a spring connected to said cap, and adapted to exert a regulated yielding pressure on the diaphragm, a contact piece, and a contact finger actuated by said stem and adapted to be moved into contact with said contact piece, when the diaphragm is moved in one direction and adapted to stand in the position in which it is moved when the diaphragm is moved in the other direction, substantially as set forth.

9. In an electric alarm, the combination of a casing, a diaphragm therein adapted to be moved in one direction by the increase of In this form of contact-valve the pressure in the casing, on one side thereof, a cap for the casing, a stemmovably mounted on the cap, heads at the lower end of said stem, said heads being secured together on opposite sides of said diaphragm and having adjacent convex faces bearing against the same, a spring connected to the stem, and two contact points one of which is connected to and adapted to be moved by the stem into and out of contact with the other contact point, substantially as set forth.

3. In an electric alarm, the combination of a casing, a diaphragm therein, a stem connected to the diaphragm, means for applying a regulated spring pressure on one side of the diaphragm and a fluid pressure 011 the other side thereof, a contact piece, a contact finger connected to the stem and adapted to be moved into contact with the contact piece by the same, and a spring independent of the spring employed for actuating the diaphragm connected to the finger and adapted to hold the same normally out of contact with the contact piece, substantially as set forth.

4. In an electric alarm, the combination of a casing, a diaphragm therein, a stem connected to the diaphragm, means for applying a regulated spring pressure to one side of the diaphragm and a fluid pressure to the other side thereof, a contact piece, a bearing piece, an insulated support therefor, a clamp screw for holding said bearing piece to its support, a contact finger pivoted to the bearing piece and connected to the stem, and a spring having at one end projections held between the bearing piece and its support on opposite sides of the clamp screw, and having its other end arranged to bear on the contact finger and hold the same normally out of contact with the contact piece, substantially as set forth.

5. In an alarm, the combination of a main circuit including a generator and an alarm, a series of local circuits each including a gen erator and an alarm, and a circuit closer comprising a diaphragm arranged to be operated by fluid pressure and four contacts, two'of which are movable and are actuated by the diaphragm, said movable contacts being connected in different circuits and being each arranged when the diaphragm is moved in one direction to simultaneously close its particular local circuit and the main circuit, and when the diaphragm is moved in the other direction to stand in its closed position, whereby said circuits are maintained closed, substantially as set forth.

0. In an electric alarm, the combination of a casing, a diaphragm therein, means for applying a fluid pressure to one side and areg-- ulated yielding pressure to the other side of the diaphragm, a stem for said diaphragm having an enlargement, a contact piece forming one terminal of an electric circuit, and a pivoted contact finger connected to said enlargement and forming the other terminal of the said circuit, said pivoted finger being IIO adapted to be moved into and out of contact with said contact piece, substantially as set forth.

7. In an electric alarm, the combination of a casing, a diaphragm therein, means for applying a fluid pressure to one side and a regulated yielding pressure to the other side of said diaphragm, ascreW threaded stem for the diaphragm, a nut screwing on said stem, a contact point forming one terminal of an electric circuit, a pivoted contact finger conneeted to said nut and forming the other terminal of said circuit, said pivoted contact finger being adapted to be moved into and out of contact with said contact piece, substantially as set forth.

8. In an electric alarm, the combination of a casing, a diaphragm therein, means for applying a fluid pressure to one side and a regulated yielding pressure to the other side of said diaphragm, a stem for said diaphragm a contact piece forming one terminal of an electric circuit, a contact finger connected to said stem and forming the other terminal of said circuit and a spring, independent of the EA YLEY \VILTJAMS. 

